Defence Minister Estimates 100,000 Deaths

Defence Minister George Fernandes
on Tuesday apprehended that the death toll in the earthquake that
devastated Gujarat could be as high as a staggering 100,000.

Fernandes, who visited the worst affected areas including
Bhuj, Anjaar, Rapar and Ahmedabad, told PTI in New Delhi, "If my worst
fears come true, the death toll could be in six figures."
Fernandes said the old city of Bhuj has been totally
ravaged and "we don't know how many people are lying under the
debris." Bhuj, which has a population of 150,000, has been
totally ravaged and is non-existent, he said.

Anjaar, the second most populous town with a population of
80,000, was under debris except for some new buildings which
are outside the township.

"People there are in an ugly mood, complaining that
nothing by way of relief has come to them. Their assessment
was minus a few thousands who are injured, the rest of the
people were under the debris," he said.

The minister said in Bachchau, which has a smaller
population of 40,000, the situation was no different.

He said the situation in other badly affected areas of Rapar
town in Kutch region, where already 370 deaths have been
reported, and from nearby smaller villages, the casualty
figures were going up.

Fernandes said the commercial city of Ahmedabad was also
in a bad shape where bodies were still trapped in many
buildings.

Fernandes said alongside Anjaar, there are a number of
villages like Lakdia, Hadoi, Vandiah, Somakali and Wondh which
have been flattened.

The same is the situation in the villages surrounding the
satellite town of Bachchau, which has been badly affected.

"Looking at the overall situation, if the picture is the
same as one had witnessed in Bhuj, Rapar, Anjaar and Bachchau,
then the casualties could be in six figures," he said.

He said it was now five days since the disaster and it
was also winter, and it would only be a miracle if
survivors could still be pulled out.

Fernandes, who also visited Morbi, Rajkot and nearby
villages and flew over some of the areas like Jamnagar and
Jodiah, said some of these places have been completely
demolished by the quake.

He said while rehabilitation of the people affected by
the quake would take a long time, the immediate need now was
tents to provide shelter to the homeless.

Fernandes said even people whose houses have not been
affected, were now living in the open and were not entering
their homes for fear of more quakes.

So there was an immediate need for tents to house all
these people, he said.

Fernandes said another important thing was that all these
people had been deprived of their belongings except the
clothes they were wearing at the time of the quake.

"They need succour in every sense. There is need for
common kitchens, plates, tumblers, blankets and other daily
necessities," he said.

Thereafter, he said, many of them also need treatment for
which medicines and medical equipment were necessary.

Fernandes said Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel
talked to him earlier on Monday and said there was need
for smaller bulldozers and cranes to work effectively in
narrow lanes of the areas worst affected by the quake.